Sixers cruise past Hawks 113-92: What worked and what didn't

Sixers cruise past Hawks 113-92: What worked and what didn't

The Philadelphia 76ers won their second-straight game Monday night, pulling away from the Atlanta Hawks with a dominant third quarter. After some close games over the past week, it was nice to see the team assert itself and cruise to a victory.

Ben Simmons led the way with 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists while Markelle Fultz was second on the team with 16 points, adding seven assists and four rebounds. Joel Embiid had an uncharacteristically quiet night, but thanks to Simmons, Fultz, and the bench it didn’t matter.

Let’s take a look at what worked and what didn’t on Monday night.

What worked: The bench play

The Sixers’ bench has been a concern this season, as it has produced very little outside of JJ Redick. That all changed against the Hawks.

Mike Muscala showed why he was acquired by the Sixers, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds in 19 minutes. He also shot an impressive 4-6 from beyond the arc.

Landry Shamet was a bright spot as well, chipping in 13 points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal. He played confidently, and if he and Muscala can play this way consistently it will go a long way towards helping the Sixers look more like the team we expected them to be.

All told the Sixers’ bench contributed 51 points.

What didn’t work: 3-point shooting

Another season-long concern has been the 3-point shooting, and that continued Monday night. The team jacked up 47 attempts from beyond the arc, connecting on just 14 (29.8 percent). Dario Saric continued to struggle mightily, going 0-5 from deep, while Robert Covington was 3-9. Fortunately, it proved to not matter against the Hawks, but it’s going to have to improve for the Sixers to meet expectations.

What worked: Ball movement

The Sixers assisted on 33 of their 41 made field goals. Teams that move the ball put incredible pressure on opposing defenses and typically find more open looks. In turn, they can be very difficult to beat. It’s encouraging to see Philly finding the open man early and often.

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What didn’t work: Joel Embiid

It feels weird to even write that, as the big man has been spectacular this season. On Monday he had a rare quiet game, scoring10 points and taking just nine shots.

The Hawks were clearly taking an approach of making someone besides Embiid beat them. They sent constant double-teams and were effective at keeping him in check.

Embiid managed six assists as he maneuvered the Atlanta defense, but he missed a couple opportunities to dish for an easy bucket as well and turned the ball over four times. Embiid is likely to see more defensive looks like he saw Monday night, and he’s going to have to show he can adjust. Luckily his teammates were able to pick up him.

What worked: Free-throw shooting

Over the past year-plus, Philly’s free-throw shooting has left something to be desired. That wasn’t the case against the Hawks. The team knocked down 17-18 from the charity stripe with Embiid and Simmons combining to go a perfect 9-9. The skillsets of that pair are perfect for turning free-throws into a viable weapon, so it was good to see them take advantage of their opportunities.

What didn’t work: Protecting the ball

The Sixers coughed up the ball 19 times while only forcing 13 miscues by the Hawks. Empty possessions and extra opportunities for the opponent are a recipe for disaster, and the team is going to have to clean things up moving forward. It didn’t matter Monday night, but against better teams and in close games, turnovers can make all the difference.

What worked: Rebounding

Philadelphia was dominant on the glass, outrebounding the Hawks 64-47. It was a full team effort, as the Sixers got at least one rebound from every player. They did a great job keeping balls alive that they couldn’t secure initially, allowing for a teammate to help. Doing the dirty work goes a long way towards winning basketball games and can help offset deficiencies in other areas, and that was certainly the case Monday night.